The further and continuing adventures of the girl who sat in the back of your homeroom, reading and daydreaming.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Indy Mayoral Race: Smell The Fail

You could get a Model T Ford in any color you liked -- as long as you only liked black. In Indianapolis, you can vote for a new mayor of any ideological hue you like, too -- as long as you like stupid.

Under A, we have incumbent Greg Ballard, well-meaning but politically tone-deaf Republican, steered too much by smoke-filled-room rentseekers, the man who gave us the odious Frank Straub running Public Safety. Frank, in turn, leads us to--

B, Melina Kennedy, Fraternal Order of Police-endorsed Democrat challenger, who wants for "fix the public schools" -- something over which the mayor has zero power -- and "get rid of illegal guns" by "closing loopholes," apparently unaware that the State Legislature has enacted sweeping pre-emption of local gun laws by State law; about all the City can rule on is if people with licenses to carry handguns can carry them inside city-owned buildings. --Tellingly, her longest reply in the linked survey has to do with city support for The Arts. Much as I love art, I was hoping for a Mayor focused more on paving and snowplowing, on keepin' the Police and Fire Departments in shape to deal with crime and conflagration. Which brings us to--

C, Libertarian Chris Bowen, the Man With Half A Clue. Nuvo quotes him as being all in favor of things like mandatory car inspections (a tax on the working poor, sir?) and stricter environmental regs (in the state that was the first to ban phosphates in detergent, which is why Hoosiers are a dingy lot); he seems a little more sensible in the survey linked above but until he learns to hold the line on his collie-pup enthusiasm when interviewed, he's gonna find himself running with the hounds and hunting with the hare on every issue.

My enthusiasm for having to pick anyone at all from this field can scarcely be underestimated. None Of The Above, please run for Mayor!

"I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly propose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions."